Many years ago (6 to 10) my brother was doing misc. tree work in a lady's yard. They were working in the front yard. The woman customer decided she wanted to leave the house and travel through the work zone. She didn't get anyones attention and thought it would be best just to sprint down her sidewalk through the middle of the yard. That way she disturbs their work less. He was either felling a little tree like a dogwood or dropping a limb, just as she sprinted. She got hit in the side of the head. Very mild but it left a bump. She knew it was her fault. He took her out and bought her dinner after that though I believe.
This really scared me: Once I was working in a back yard (maybe 6 years ago). There was a mentally handicapped individual that would often come when he heard chainsaws. He would usually watch from a distance and only bother us on break. He worked for Asplundh at one time, so he felt a connection. I had climbed and stripped out a little heavy mulberry, it was now just a pole, maybe 18 feet high, 10 inch DBH. The mental guy was watching at the edge of the yard, he had been watching for a while and was staying in one place. I notched the pole to fall in the yard, in his direction, but he was far away and did not appear to be a potential risk. I made the back cut. I stood up, and pushed the pole to get it started. At that point the customer had walked down in the yard a bit, she could easily see what was going on and stayed far away, but the problem was, was that I waived to her. When I waived, the mental guy thought I had motioned for him to come talk to me, he runs towards me as the pole is falling, I SCREAM NOOOO! and hold my hands out. He slows down just in time and the pole misses him by maybe 5 feet. If it hit him in the head, it would have killed him.
I had forgotten all about this, till I read this thread.
I always worry about customers kids. I always think, what if they want a toy on the other side of the yard and decide to make a dash through our zone to go get it. The parents always seem to get mad at me when I insist the kids have to watch from inside or from behind a closed gate of some sort. Unbelievable! If there is anyone else on the property I have to keep watching to make sure they are staying put. I hate this. Even if it's an adult and they know better, I still always have to give a look to make sure they aren't doing something stupid. It's enough that we have to make sure our ground guys are out of the area. That time looking for extra people adds up, and I hate wasting time.
I hate those dang garden flags or anything else that blows or moves in the wind too. I'll see it in the corner of my eye and I will stop my cut to make sure it isn't someone entering the zone.
I agree that people in automobiles are oblivious. I would not like to work a job that required me to work along the roads all the time.
Years ago on a nice clear day, I was standing in the middle of a lane. My brother was going to drop something in or near the road. I could see a car coming from 2 miles away and I'm sure any normal person driving could see me as they got closer. I was waiving both arms high and wide to get the old man's attention way ahead of time. To my disbelief he wasn't slowing down, he somehow didn't notice me till the last moment and he locked up the brakes to stop. Man, what if that was some little kid crossing the road, he probably would have hit them and never knew he did such a thing.
be careful out there,
This really scared me: Once I was working in a back yard (maybe 6 years ago). There was a mentally handicapped individual that would often come when he heard chainsaws. He would usually watch from a distance and only bother us on break. He worked for Asplundh at one time, so he felt a connection. I had climbed and stripped out a little heavy mulberry, it was now just a pole, maybe 18 feet high, 10 inch DBH. The mental guy was watching at the edge of the yard, he had been watching for a while and was staying in one place. I notched the pole to fall in the yard, in his direction, but he was far away and did not appear to be a potential risk. I made the back cut. I stood up, and pushed the pole to get it started. At that point the customer had walked down in the yard a bit, she could easily see what was going on and stayed far away, but the problem was, was that I waived to her. When I waived, the mental guy thought I had motioned for him to come talk to me, he runs towards me as the pole is falling, I SCREAM NOOOO! and hold my hands out. He slows down just in time and the pole misses him by maybe 5 feet. If it hit him in the head, it would have killed him.
I had forgotten all about this, till I read this thread.
I always worry about customers kids. I always think, what if they want a toy on the other side of the yard and decide to make a dash through our zone to go get it. The parents always seem to get mad at me when I insist the kids have to watch from inside or from behind a closed gate of some sort. Unbelievable! If there is anyone else on the property I have to keep watching to make sure they are staying put. I hate this. Even if it's an adult and they know better, I still always have to give a look to make sure they aren't doing something stupid. It's enough that we have to make sure our ground guys are out of the area. That time looking for extra people adds up, and I hate wasting time.
I hate those dang garden flags or anything else that blows or moves in the wind too. I'll see it in the corner of my eye and I will stop my cut to make sure it isn't someone entering the zone.
I agree that people in automobiles are oblivious. I would not like to work a job that required me to work along the roads all the time.
Years ago on a nice clear day, I was standing in the middle of a lane. My brother was going to drop something in or near the road. I could see a car coming from 2 miles away and I'm sure any normal person driving could see me as they got closer. I was waiving both arms high and wide to get the old man's attention way ahead of time. To my disbelief he wasn't slowing down, he somehow didn't notice me till the last moment and he locked up the brakes to stop. Man, what if that was some little kid crossing the road, he probably would have hit them and never knew he did such a thing.
be careful out there,
Too bad arbos can't do the same for 'coneheads' that come into our drop zone.
